Odds & Ins.

Butler Makes Extra Point For New Stadium

May 26, 1995|By Terry Armour.

Bears kicker Kevin Butler made a recent trip to the United Center, ending up in the Bulls' locker room after a game. After looking around, Butler came to this conclusion: "We need a new stadium." Those feelings are nothing new to the Bears organization, which is pushing for a stadium somewhere in the Chicago area. But rarely do you hear the players talking about it. "You go down to the United Center and you understand why people like to have new stadiums," Butler said. "Soldier Field is a little run down. I sat in the stands for the World Cup and it was uncomfortable. When you're paying that kind of money, you want to have some comfort." Where should the stadium be? Chicago? Arlington Heights? Wauconda? "It would be fabulous to have a stadium in Chicago," Butler said. "I know a lot of our fans are in the suburbs but we're the Chicago Bears. When you're watching the Bears and you see the skyline in the background, that's what it's all about. But there's going to have to be some give and take to get a new stadium in Chicago."

The question: Will Butler be around long enough to see a new stadium? "My focus right now is to just make it to our new practice facility," Butler said with a grin.

Wedding bells: Bears cornerback Donnell Woolford will be best man when popular Bears assistant equipment manager Tony Medlin marries Chandra Taylor in Evanston on Saturday. Among others at the wedding will be Butler, Mark Carrier, Shaun Gayle and Richard Dent.

Helpful hint: If you're planning to go to the Indianapolis 500, Marlboro Team Penske adviser Rick Mears, a four-time Indy 500 champion, offers a tip on where to sit. Heck, you might even be sitting next to Mears, since Team Penske didn't qualify anybody. "I'd try to get seats somewhere in the middle of Turn 1 where I could still see the pits and the short chute into Turn 2," Mears advised. "The leader isn't necessarily the one who's in the best shape. If he works hard to lead the race early, he may take too much time out of his car and tires, so follow all the cars in the top five or six."

The alternative: Since Team Penske's Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi won't be racing at Indy, they might want to try to qualify for the fourth annual "Sta-Bil Nationals," a race for riding lawn mowers. Regionals are all summer leading to the championship on Sept. 2 in Rockford. And, get this, Little Al and Emerson: You can qualify up to two minutes before the championship.

Part of the field: Lyn St. James, who will line up for her fourth Indy 500, will become the first woman in 16 years to race an Indy Car at the Milwaukee Mile for the Miller Genuine Draft 200 on June 4. The last woman to drive in an Indy Car race in Milwaukee was Janet Guthrie, fifth in the Tony Bettenhausen 200 in 1979.

The quote: Mike Tyson, when asked if his skills had deteriorated in his last few fights: "Who said that? Where are they? Nobody ever told me that--not to my face, of course."

A little help: In an effort to stay in the United States International Soccer League playoff race, the Chicago Stingers have signed David Ndunduma and Don D'Ambra to try and shake them out of their three-game losing streak. "Winning is as infectious as losing," said Derek Spalding, the Stingers' director of player development. "Right now, we are looking for players with some fire in their belly." Ndunduma comes all the way from Zimbabwe, where he was a midfielder for the Black Rhinos.

All-stars: As expected, Diana Vines, Cindy Conner and Tammy Williams of the Chicago Twisters will suit up for the American Conference All-Stars in Saturday's Women's Basketball Association (WBA) All-Star game in Kansas City.

New league: The Institute of Professional Athletics has announced the formation of the Women's Major Basketball League (WMBL), slated to tip off next year. League officials will begin recruiting players next month for a series of exhibition games in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Houston--cities expected to get four of the eight franchises.

Record setter: Joe Anderson's five-year-old mare Pacific Flight N ran the fastest mile ever for fillies and mares at Maywood Park on Wednesday, pacing the distance in one minute, 54.2 seconds. That broke Anniecrombie's Maywood Park record of 1:55 set in 1988.

Around the town: Nissan race car driver John Morton will join former Bull John Paxson and representatives of the Make-A-Wish Foundation from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Soldier Field for a barbecue for the Z America Relay. Paxson will present a check for $50,000 from Nissan to Make-A-Wish. . . . Cubs reliever Randy Myers is expected at the Rosemont Horizon on Tuesday as black-belt martial artists audition for the "Mortal Combat Live Tour" from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. . . . Taps Gallagher is looking for teams for his 3-on-3 basketball tournaments June 17-18 in Chicago and June 24-25 at the College of DuPage. For more information call 708-690-2078.

In closing: Is it me, or is Scottie Pippen turning into troublemaker Dennis Rodman right before our eyes?